Automatic merchandise-seller



(No Model.)

W. G. LATIMER.

. AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISE SELLER.

PatentedOct. 21, 1890.

1T1 VETIJE ur- M Wflliam Ellatimer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. LATIMER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC MERCHANDISE-SELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,691, dated October 21, 1890.

Application filed November 1, 1889. Serial No. 328,902. [No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. LATIMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Merchandise- Sellers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic merchandisesellers; and the invention relates to the peculiar construction of a receptacle designed to be filled with merchandise, and a revolving reel of suitable shape to receive an article of merchandise designed to be sold, and of coinoperated mechanism connected with the reel, whereby on the insertion of a coin of special size an article of merchandise will be delivered from the receptacle.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section near one end, showing the coin-operated mechanism in operation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 00 0c in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line y y in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line .2 z in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 20 'w in Fig. 8, showing the position of the parts as the coin is being inserted.

A is a box or casing having a sliding door A, forming the back, which may be provided with any suitable lock. (Not shown.) This casing is divided into the merchandise-compartment B and the coin-compartment O by the inclined partition D, which forms the feed-chute. The lower end of this partition has the curved portion a, the forward end of which is at the lower edge of the deliveryaperture E, which extends across the front of the casing. Behind this aperture is the reel F, journaled upon a shaft bin the sides of the casing. This reel is provided with a series of arms extending the length of the aperture and of suitable shape to receive and deliver the article to be sold. In the drawings I have shown them of a suitable shape to use in the sale of cigarettes. It is evident, however, that they may be of various shapes for the sale of various articles, such as matches, cigars, slate-pencils, gum, &c.

G is an offset formed in the lower portion of the box or casing, the top of which 0, being in front of the delivery-aperture, serves as a shelf upon which the article is delivered, while the interior forms a convenient receptacle for part of the operating mechanism.

II are guard-arms secured upon the inner side of the casing over the reel, projecting downward to near the inclined partition D, extending slightly into the reel, suitable notches d being made in the latter to allow of the rotation of the reel. Thisconstruction prevents any'possibility of more than asingle article being delivered by the rotation of the reel. v

J is a vertical partition at the end of the reel to prevent the cigarettes from falling upon the coin-operated mechanism.

K is a slot formed partially in the front curved portion d of the casing and partially in thetop c of the offset G.

L is a rotary bearing-wheel secured upon the shaft 19 in front of the vertical portion of the slot, and provided on its face with segmental circular bearing-faces a, corresponding in size and shape to the edge of the coin through which it is intended to operate the device.

M is a yielding arm pivoted upon a bracket M, and extending vertically or nearly so, in close proximity to the slot in the casing. On the upper end of this arm is formed a head N, the rear extension of which extends under the bearing-wheel L and abuts with its end against one of the arms g, between which are formed the segmental circularbearings. The rear extension extends under the slot in the horizontal portion 0 of the casing. The head N is provided with a vertical slot P, which passes through the extension f, and having an incline h at its forward end. The head N is of such shape and so placed as to form a stop in the rotation of the bearing-Wheels in either direction until the headhas been moved forward, except a limited rotary movement permitted by cutting away the top of the head N forward of the shoulder.

O is a spring secured at its lower end to the casing and having the coil 0'. The upper free end of this spring bears against the arm M, holding it against the stop P.

The parts being thus constructed and arranged, they are intended to operate as follows: The merchandise-receptacle B being filled with cigarettes, the back A is put in the casing and locked. A person desiring to procure a cigarette from the box places a coin of the desired denomination in the slot in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. If the coin be of the proper size, the slot being carefully formed to admit only a coin of given size, by pressing upon the coin it will be forced into the slot to bear with its edge against the segmental circular hearing which is opposite the aperture, which will cause the wheel L to move slightly, allowing the lower edge of the coin to enter the slot P and bear against the upper portion of the incline. The further pressure of the operator upon the coin will cause it to wedge the yielding arm M away from its vertical position, and at the same time to turn the wheel L until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 6, where it has traversed the length of the incline, and the coin will drop into the coin-compartment C. This insertion of the coin will turn the wheel one-fourth of a revolution, bringing another bearing of the wheel L into proper position for another operation. The arm M is brought to its original position as soon as the spring is released by means of the spring 0.

It is evident, as the wheel L and reel F are upon the same shaft, that each movement of the Wheel will move the reel, and as the cigarettes are fed into the rack a cigarette will be delivered upon the insertion of the proper coin. A guard Q is arranged below the slot to prevent the coins from entering the coinoperating mechanism.

By changing the size and shape of the, reel and discharge-aperture many different kinds of merchandise may be sold.

\Vhile I show the wheel L and reel F upon the same shaft, it is an evident equivalent to have them upon different shafts and connected by intermediate mechanism.

That I claim is 1. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination of a rotary disk arranged to be operated directly by a coin, a merchandisedeliverer operated by the same, and a yielding arm normally held in contact with the disk, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination of the rotary disk or wheel having segmental circular coin-bearings, ayielding arm having a slot and an incline h in said slot, and the spring 0, substantially as described.

In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination, with a casing having merchandise and coin compartments, of coin-operated mechanism arranged directly in the path of an incoming coin, and automatic merchandisedelivering mechanism connected therewith, substantially as described.

4.. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination of the rotary disk or wheel having coin-bearings,a yielding arm having a slot, and the incline h, the spring 0, and reel F, operated .by the rotation of the wheel L, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination of a casing having a deliveryaperture, the olfset G, and a slot formed partially in the vertical and partially in the horizontal walls of the casing, the rotary disk having segmental circular coin-bearings opposite the vertical portion of the slot, the yielding arm M, head N, forming a stop for the wheel L, stop P, incline h, spring 0, and reel F, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination of the following elements: the casing A, having aperture E therein, door A, inclined partition D, guards II, reel F, and coin-operated mechanism for turning the reel, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic merchandise-seller, the combination, with a rotary disk, of a yielding locking-arm normally held in contact with the disk and arranged to be disengaged by the direct contact of a coin therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of October, 1889.

WILLIAM G. LATIMER.

Witnesses:

ED. MCBREARTY, GEO. A. GREGG. 

